I
1. Are the five doctrinal statement of the Remonstrants valid or not?
2. Do you agree with them?
See the Statements below:
Five Articles of Remonstrance
The Five articles of Remonstrance refer to the document drawn up in 1610 by the followers
of Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609). A "remonstrance" is literally "an expression of opposition
or protest," which in this case was a protest against the Calvinist doctrine of predestination
contained in the Belgic Confession. Consequently, those followers of Arminius who drafted
this protest were given the name "Remonstrants." This document was condemned as heresy
by the reformed churches at the Synod of Dort, 1618-1619. [1]
Article 1
That God, by an eternal and unchangeable purpose in Jesus Christ his Son, before the foundation
of the world, hath determined, out of the fallen, sinful race of men, to save in Christ, for Christ’s sake,
and through Christ, those who, through the grace of the Holy Ghost, shall believe on this his son Jesus,
and shall persevere in this faith and obedience of faith, through this grace, even to the end; and, on
the other hand, to leave the incorrigible and unbelieving in sin and under wrath, and to condemn
them as alienate from Christ, according to the word of the Gospel in John 3:36: “He that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath
of God abideth on him,” and according to other passages of Scripture also. [2]
Article 2
That agreeably thereunto, Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world, died for all men and for every man,
so that he has obtained for them all, by his death on the cross, redemption and the forgiveness of sins;
yet that no one actually enjoys this forgiveness of sins except the believer, according to the word of the
Gospel of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And in the First Epistle of 1 John 2:2: “And
he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” [3]
Article 3
That man has not saving grace of himself, nor of the energy of his free will, inasmuch as he, in the
state of apostasy and sin, can of and by himself neither think, will, nor do any thing that is truly good
(such as saving faith eminently is); but that it is needful that he be born again of God in Christ, through
his Holy Spirit, and renewed in understanding, inclination, or will, and all his powers, in order that he
may rightly understand, think, will, and effect what is truly good, according to the Word of Christ,
John 15:5, “Without me ye can do nothing.” [4]
Article 4
That this grace of God is the beginning, continuance, and accomplishment of all good, even to this
extent, that the regenerate man himself, without prevenient or assisting, awakening, following and
cooperative grace, can neither think, will, nor do good, nor withstand any temptations to evil; so that
all good deeds or movements, that can be conceived, must be ascribed to the grace of God in Christ.
but respects the mode of the operation of this grace, it is not irresistible; inasmuch as it is written
concerning many, that they have resisted the Holy Ghost. Acts 7, and elsewhere in many places. [5]
Article 5
That those who are incorporated into Christ by true faith, and have thereby become partakers of
his life-giving Spirit, have thereby full power to strive against Satan, sin, the world, and their own
flesh, and to win the victory; it being well understood that it is ever through the assisting grace
of the Holy Ghost; and that Jesus Christ assists them through his Spirit in all temptations, extends
to them his hand, and if only they are ready for the conflict, and desire his help, and are not inactive,
keeps them from falling, so that they, by no craft or power of Satan, can be misled nor plucked out
of Christ’s hands, according to the Word of Christ, John 10:28: “Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand.” But whether they are capable, through negligence, of forsaking again the first
beginning of their life in Christ, of again returning to this present evil world, of turning away
from the holy doctrine which was delivered them, of losing a good conscience, of becoming
devoid of grace, that must be more particularly determined out of the Holy Scripture, before
we ourselves can teach it with the full persuasion of our mind. [6]
2. Do you agree with them?
See the Statements below:
Five Articles of Remonstrance
The Five articles of Remonstrance refer to the document drawn up in 1610 by the followers
of Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609). A "remonstrance" is literally "an expression of opposition
or protest," which in this case was a protest against the Calvinist doctrine of predestination
contained in the Belgic Confession. Consequently, those followers of Arminius who drafted
this protest were given the name "Remonstrants." This document was condemned as heresy
by the reformed churches at the Synod of Dort, 1618-1619. [1]
Article 1
That God, by an eternal and unchangeable purpose in Jesus Christ his Son, before the foundation
of the world, hath determined, out of the fallen, sinful race of men, to save in Christ, for Christ’s sake,
and through Christ, those who, through the grace of the Holy Ghost, shall believe on this his son Jesus,
and shall persevere in this faith and obedience of faith, through this grace, even to the end; and, on
the other hand, to leave the incorrigible and unbelieving in sin and under wrath, and to condemn
them as alienate from Christ, according to the word of the Gospel in John 3:36: “He that believeth
on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath
of God abideth on him,” and according to other passages of Scripture also. [2]
Article 2
That agreeably thereunto, Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world, died for all men and for every man,
so that he has obtained for them all, by his death on the cross, redemption and the forgiveness of sins;
yet that no one actually enjoys this forgiveness of sins except the believer, according to the word of the
Gospel of John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And in the First Epistle of 1 John 2:2: “And
he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” [3]
Article 3
That man has not saving grace of himself, nor of the energy of his free will, inasmuch as he, in the
state of apostasy and sin, can of and by himself neither think, will, nor do any thing that is truly good
(such as saving faith eminently is); but that it is needful that he be born again of God in Christ, through
his Holy Spirit, and renewed in understanding, inclination, or will, and all his powers, in order that he
may rightly understand, think, will, and effect what is truly good, according to the Word of Christ,
John 15:5, “Without me ye can do nothing.” [4]
Article 4
That this grace of God is the beginning, continuance, and accomplishment of all good, even to this
extent, that the regenerate man himself, without prevenient or assisting, awakening, following and
cooperative grace, can neither think, will, nor do good, nor withstand any temptations to evil; so that
all good deeds or movements, that can be conceived, must be ascribed to the grace of God in Christ.
but respects the mode of the operation of this grace, it is not irresistible; inasmuch as it is written
concerning many, that they have resisted the Holy Ghost. Acts 7, and elsewhere in many places. [5]
Article 5
That those who are incorporated into Christ by true faith, and have thereby become partakers of
his life-giving Spirit, have thereby full power to strive against Satan, sin, the world, and their own
flesh, and to win the victory; it being well understood that it is ever through the assisting grace
of the Holy Ghost; and that Jesus Christ assists them through his Spirit in all temptations, extends
to them his hand, and if only they are ready for the conflict, and desire his help, and are not inactive,
keeps them from falling, so that they, by no craft or power of Satan, can be misled nor plucked out
of Christ’s hands, according to the Word of Christ, John 10:28: “Neither shall any man pluck them
out of my hand.” But whether they are capable, through negligence, of forsaking again the first
beginning of their life in Christ, of again returning to this present evil world, of turning away
from the holy doctrine which was delivered them, of losing a good conscience, of becoming
devoid of grace, that must be more particularly determined out of the Holy Scripture, before
we ourselves can teach it with the full persuasion of our mind. [6]
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